Invocation: Litany of Names
Invocation is a world set in the Christian middle ages, a landscaped filled with wonder and awe, and glory if one is willing to take the risk for it. What makes Invocation so unique is that, one, the Creators in this world learned to use Invocation to guide their use of Kenosis rather than Degrees. And second, Invocation uses the mythology of the actual middle age peoples, rather than later Victorian-era mythology characters. In the world of Invocation, the Discipline Arcani never formed. In fact, the line between the natural and supernatural is blurred, and many people are at least vaguely aware of the existence of the Adepts and the presence of the Saints within their own society. Medieval Lore The Saints: AKA: The Invokers. To Invoke is to use one of the countless Names of God to channel the creative energies inherent within any member of the White Order. Invocation has allowed the Creators of this realm to gain ever greater levels of power and sophistication, and they now dominant the Adept society on this world. Known simply as the Saints, these Creators put extra emphasis on Theology and spend hours pouring through old tomes looking for newer and more complex Names of God. The more complex a Name is, and the more it's composed of smaller, simpler Names, the more specific its effects will be. A Name is more than just an identifier for something, a true name is the idea or concept behind something. By knowing someone or something's true name, you know and understand its purpose, even its very soul. The same holds true for the Almighty God. By speaking aloud, or in your head, a Holy Name, the very act of speaking the Name will have repercussions even in material reality. Names of God Facts: -Saints often keep tomes or codexes with them full of Holy Names. By reading from the book, a Creator can use the Names to cause specific effects. They could launch fireballs from their hands, call down rain and sheet lightning from the sky, or they could heal a friend or bring back the dead. But the more specific, or powerful, the effect an Invoker seeks, the more complex the Name will have to be. And all it takes is one mistake for the whole thing to fail. -The 'Full Name' of God is said to be unknowable to any finite creature. While legends and myths speak of it, and certain madmen have claimed to have uncovered it, the truth is that no one believes the tales. The idea of a finite being possessing the whole understanding of the Infinite-Being is utterly absurd. -The Invokers primary enemies are the Hellraiser Fallen, Fallen Adepts native to this world who have developed special powers all their own known as Hellraising. -Saints cherish their LItany (the collection of Holy Names they have amassed) and will actively seek out new names to add. One of the primary reason for Invokers to go on Quests is to hone their skill in Invoking and to acquire new Names. -Saints saturate Christian society. They can be found in the Church, working as either priests, monks or bishops, or they can be found among the common man, in far flung mendicant missions, or on the battlefield where they defend all Christendom. -The Saints are not an organization but a class. They may agree on somethings or they may disagree, it all depends on the individuals. -If a Saint wishes to develop further, the exploration of the theological is paramount. -Invocation is not magic, it is faith. If a Saint has distanced themselves from God, they can expect their power of Invocation to start drying up. -Remember that a Holy Name is just that, something that is Holy. If a Saint abuses the Names or uses them too frequently or not in a manner befitting their importance, they will begin to lose their power. -Saints still develop the basic powers of the Creator Order, usually Mustard Seed. But aside from that, the specific powers they develop comes from Invocation. The Others: The Saints are not the only Adepts to inhabit the world of Invocation. A selection of other Orders have a presence here as well, and they serve alongside the Creator Order, supplementing their ranks with their own specialized skills and powers. Effectively, these other Orders serve the same purpose as Class does in traditional fantasy or pseudo-fantasy RPG settings. They define a person's lifestyle, abilities and overall profession in life. The Others represented here will have slight deviations from the typical members of their Orders owing to the unique history and circumstances of Invocation. The Assassin The Assassins of Invocation are mysterious Easterners who represent the distant oriental cultures of the lands bordering Christendom. Sometimes helpful, sometimes hostile, the Assassins believe in stealthily carrying out retribution before all else. The Barbarian Barbarians are fierce warriors from the far North who know nothing of civilization, they believe in the power of strength and the simplicity of life. Their people have carved out their own primitive culture in harsh lands and their warriors fight on with incredible strength. The Corsair The Corsair is the thief on any Quest and specializes in stealth, deceit and fighting like a rat. The Corsairs normally work as hired mercenaries, taking out enemy targets, stealing important items or locating lost or stolen treasures. The Crusader Crusaders serve the Church exclusively as elite, fast-attack fighters. It falls to them to hunt down infestations of the demonic and monstrous and finish it off before it has a chance to spread. Crusaders also frequently act as guards and personal assistants to important Church officials, especially when on diplomatic missions. They have the full protection of the Church and access to all of its resources. The Dancer Dancers in the world of Invocation function as the medieval Troubadour. They work as traveling groups of entertainers who fulfill several functions, everything from basic entertainers to singers, news announcers, collectors of lore, political propagandists and more. Dancers may work together in traveling groups or they may enjoy the patronage of a single lord or baron and remain at court full time. The Destroyer The Destroyer in the world of Invocation fulfills the role of the Knight. They work almost exclusively for the kings, barons and other lords of the land (in fact, many of them are the kings, barons and other lords of the land). They are elite fighters who can take on even the toughest of opponents and they are masters of the art of war. They are the lords of the manor, and the dukes and barons who form the power-base for the king. The Healer Healers aren't that frequent in the world of Invocation. Saints with Names of Healing usually fulfill their role on Quests. Still, many local hamlets and isolated monasteries possess a few faith healers and workers of miraculous recoveries. The King Kings exist in the world of Invocation just as you'd expect them to, as the noble lords and ladies of the various European kingdoms. Sharing this position in society with many of the Destroyers, Kings often occupy the throne and command the various royal armies, as well as the laws and taxes of the land. Medieval Kings teach the doctrine of Divine Right which states that the Kings are appointed by God as the rulers over the people. The Leper Lepers were a sad reality during the darker periods of the middle ages. The onset of plague and a lack of societal organization frequently allowed diseases to ravage entire communities. The Lepers in the world of Invocation will probably live together in leper colonies, or serve in monasteries as hired hands. The Marauder Marauders serve as the highwaymen, bandits and other lowlifes of Invocation. They aren't psychotic lunatics who kill everything they can get their hands on, but they are definitely amoral and believe that it's survival of the fittest. Marauders form gangs and hang out in rural countrysides or run-down shantytowns. The Martyr Martyrs are passionate and devout followers of the faith who ask God to take upon themselves the sins and damage of others. Martyrs utilize their own flesh as a weapon, taking the punishment meant for others to help further the cause. They are universally honored for their sacrifice and what few of them exist gain acceptance to any Quest they ask for. The Monastic Monastics are the founders and caretakers of the system of monasteries that cloak medieval Europe. They are many things to many people: storehouses of knowledge, community centers, places of religious importance and practice, and keepers of holy secrets. Monastics are disciplined fighters who prefer the use of long staffs and ranged, non-lethal weapons. Some Monastics remain shut into their secluded monasteries, while others often journey through the land on yearly charity missions, helping local peasants deal with problems, delivering food and medicine to the poor, etc. The Paladin Paladins exist both in and outside of the military as epitomes of human virtue and perfection. They can fight on the battlefield as champion of chivalry, or they can serve in the Church as paragons of good practice among the common people. While rare, they are greatly prized, especially by the Church. Paladins also possess powers over the demonic and are able to burn away evil spirits with their very presence. The Pagan Europe was quickly converted to Christianity during the later half of the Roman Empire, with monks and missionaries convincing the common people to accept the faith. However, not all of these people agreed and several of them banded together to remain lost in the wilds of the world where they could still practice their ancient traditions. Isolated pockets of Pagans occur across medieval Europe and most of them run the gamut from accepting of Christians to fear and hostility. The Penitent The Penitents form the backbone of occasional flagellant or penance movements that travel the landscape of medieval Europe. Often appearing during times of disaster or war, Penitents would travel in long caravans composed of people dressed as devils, saints, sinners and churchmen, all of which was theater meant to inspire the common people to reconsider themselves. Technically operating outside of Church authority, most priests and bishops accepted the particular spirituality of the Penitents, although there are a few examples of Penitent movements going too far and becoming disruptive. The Priest The backbone of the Church, Priests are most commonly the Bishops and local parish priests for individual communities. They come in many forms and functions, ranging from the clerical Priests who head entire cathedrals or regions, to missionary or adventuring Priests who seek to bring goodness and faith into the world through their actions. Priests are often sanctioned by the Church and will have full access to the Church's support and resources. However, a drawback for Priests is that they are forbidden to use lethal weapons, so things like staves, clubs, stanchets, staffs, etc., are the weapons of choice for them. The Remnant Masters of survival and the hunt, Remnant in the world of Invocation possess heightened senses and powers of healing and endurance. Yeomen and other workers of the wild lands are the ones most often inducted into the ranks of the Remnant Order. They possess secrets and knowledge of God's creation that other Orders have forgotten long ago. Most Remnant usually serve the local Lord of the Manor, tending to his vast estate or hunting down criminals hiding in his forests. The Seneschal The life of a Seneschal has changed little since the days of the Roman Empire. They still work the land as traveling merchants and the heads of local worker Guilds. Seneschal may also work for local lords, tending to the royal letters and tax records. The average Seneschal will probably either be working as a member of a group of established Seneschal as a town Guild or be traveling as a lone merchant attempting to build up a name for himself. Seneschal are important because they act as brokers of Holy Relics and information among the Adepts. The Shield Shields are rare and exist as elite fighters in armies. They form protective barriers to halt enemy troops and to counter the massive attacks of monsters, magic or even of Saints. Most Shields usually work alongside the Destroyers or Crusaders. The Dark Ages: Invocation takes place within the historical Dark Ages, and endeavors to differentiate itself from other such stories by actually using folklore and superstition native to that region and time period. Much of what people think of as medieval mythology is in fact based on the fictional work of later time periods, particularly the likes of C.S. Lewis and J.R. Tolkien. Medieval Mythology The Shedim: Shedim are the sworn enemies of the Invokers, they are Fallen who often lead the forces of Darkness against the Light. While not every Shedim has his own band of monsters and thugs, he often is steeped in the ways of Infernalism and has demonic allies to aid him in any fight. Shedim have copied the powers of Saints and use Names, except they use the True Names of devils and demons to work their darkest brand of magic. Shedim keep Grimoires full of demonic lore and names, invoking the unholy to succeed in combat and to punish those who anger them. Facts: -It's not safe being a Shedim. The fallen ones are not known for their mercy and understanding, so Shedim who fail them repeatedly probably won't return again. -Shedim live covert lives, often working in small cabals in out of the way towns or manors. They don't proclaim their presence or make known their activities for fear of public reprisal, but they do work behind the scenes to further their own ends. -Basically, to make a Shedim, give them the same power of invocation that the Saints have, except replace the Names of God with the unholy names of demons. Remember that the Darkness has greater numbers than the Light, but the Light has superior power. Which means, equal to equal, a Saint's powers will outmatch those of a Shedim every time. -Shedim also suffer from much infighting compared to the Saints. Competing demons or Shedim with irreconcilable philosophical differences will often go to war and wipe each other out, doing much of the Adept's work for them. Unfortunately these internecine wars often involve the summoning of powerful demons and unleashing of ancient curses, things which often cause the local populace to get caught in the crossfire. References: -https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Names_of_God Category:Infinity